


you make me feel so young

by zach_stone



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Grocery Shopping, M/M, Post-Movie: Pacific Rim (2013), hermann rides in the cart. thats all u need to know., literally the most ridiculous self indulgent nonsense. as usual.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 06:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15790737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zach_stone/pseuds/zach_stone
Summary: In the wake of saving the world, Hermann decided to appreciate the little things.Or, Hermann and Newt go grocery shopping. And, because it's Newt, shenanigans ensue.





	you make me feel so young

**Author's Note:**

  * For [singagainsoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/singagainsoon/gifts).



> i started working on this a while back, and then chuck tweeted about newt and hermann going shopping and hermann riding in the cart and it was fate. i had to finish it For Them. i hope u enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it!

In the wake of saving the world, Hermann decided to appreciate the little things. He never expected to be the kind of person who looked forward to grocery shopping, but he and Newton had found a store that was relatively quiet on Tuesday evenings, and there was something relaxing about pushing the cart down the aisles with almost no one else around.

He expected it would be even more relaxing with a less… energetic shopping companion, but he and Newt did most things together these days, finding it uncomfortable to be apart for long. So here Hermann was, in a mostly-empty grocery store at 7:30 in the evening, watching his husband sprint down the baked goods aisle and pick up a loaf of bread, holding it like a football.

“Stay there!” Newt called to him, and Hermann stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow. Newt shifted the bread from hand to hand before throwing it in the direction of the cart. They both watched as it fell woefully short of its mark, landing with a sad plop on the floor a good two feet away from the cart.

Hermann looked from the bread to Newt, pressing his lips together to keep his carefully schooled expression from cracking with amusement. “Bravo.”

“Aw man,” Newt said, sheepishly jogging back over to scoop the bread up off the floor. “Well, it’s not my fault I have no depth perception.”

“Yes, that _must_ be the problem,” Hermann said, rolling his eyes. “Here, you push the cart. You’ve lost your food-throwing privileges.”

“You’re no fun,” Newt said, tossing the bread in the basket. He did nudge Hermann’s hands out of the way and take control of the cart, however. Hermann kept pace beside him, resting a gentle hand on the small of Newt’s back as they walked. Newt smiled to himself at the touch.

After crossing a few more items off their list (with much less throwing this time), Newt commented, “Dude, there’s like, _no one_ here tonight.”

“It is quieter than usual,” Hermann agreed. They turned down the frozen aisle, and Newt stopped abruptly. Hermann stumbled, knocking their shoulders together. “What is it?” he asked.

Instead of responding, Newt leaned over the handle of the cart, squaring his shoulders, and then started running as fast as he could down the aisle. Before Hermann could do more than gape wordlessly at him, Newt hopped up to put his feet on the cart’s undercarriage and went sailing the rest of the way down the aisle with a little whoop of joy.

“Newton!” Hermann hissed, stomping down the aisle after him. “For god’s sake, we’re in public.”

“So?” Newt said. He rolled to a stop and put his feet back on the ground, grinning. “Oh, come on, Hermann, there’s no one around. It’s fun.” When Hermann continued to frown at him, Newt crossed his arms and got an all-too-familiar stubborn look on his face. Hermann mentally prepared himself for a Newton Geiszler Rant. “I never got to do stupid shit like this when I was a teenager because I was in college already! And I know _you_ never let loose like this in your youth, don’t even try to deny it.”

Hermann hadn’t intended to, but he huffed in irritation anyway. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

“You gotta live a little, dude! You’re only as old as you feel and all that shit. I bet if you tried it you would have fun. I bet you ten bucks.”

Hermann eyed the cart warily, fingers flexing around the head of his cane. “I don’t think I can get up on it like that,” he said slowly.

Newt pursed his lips. “Hm, okay, good point. Oh! I know.” He shoved the groceries in their cart into one corner of the basket and then held out his hand, as if he were a footman of a carriage instead of a rickety shopping cart. “Your chariot awaits.”

Hermann took Newt’s hand doubtfully. “You can’t be serious.” Even as he said it, he allowed Newt to help him into the cart. It took a lot of awkward lifting and fumbling, and eventually Hermann just sort of flopped backwards into the basket, his legs hanging ridiculously over the edge. He looked at Newt, who was clearly trying to suppress laughter.

“You good?” Newt said, biting his lip to hide his grin.

“Yes. You were right, this is a thrilling experience, Newton,” Hermann said dryly. He shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, accidentally digging his elbow into the loaf of bread.

“Okay, good, because I’ve got an idea. You trust me, right?”

Hermann knew that Newt was about to suggest something reckless and stupid, but he couldn’t help but melt a little and the earnest way Newt asked the question. As if he were truly uncertain after all this time. “Yes, of course,” Hermann said fondly.

Newt beamed at him. “Good. Okay, so. It’s sort of an experiment, so you’ll love it. We are scientists, after all.” Newt moved back to the head of the cart, gripping the handle.

Hermann was skeptical. “Experiment?” he repeated.

“Yeah. I already tested the velocity of the cart when _I’m_ riding it — now it’s time to see how fast it goes with both of us!” Newt hunched over the handle again, a gleam of determination in his eyes.

Hermann clutched the sides of the cart, opening his mouth to protest, but he only managed to get out a strangled, “Newton—!” before Newt started booking it down the aisle, jumping up onto the cart’s rails again once he’d picked up enough speed. Hermann held on for dear life while Newt laughed and laughed. They skidded to a stop when Newt dropped his feet back to the ground, and Hermann sat up a little straighter so he could give him a _look_. Newt was still snickering, and Hermann lasted all of five seconds before his lips twitched upwards. The dam broke, and they were both in the middle of the snack aisle laughing like a pair of idiots.

A few minutes later found Newt pushing the cart — with Hermann still sprawled amongst their groceries — and asking, “Where to next?”

Hermann eyed the list resting in his lap. Then, brandishing his cane like it was a sword and he was charging into battle, he said with as much dramatic air as he could speak two words, “Aisle six.”

“Aisle six,” Newt confirmed, equally overdramatic, and he steered the cart towards the aisle. “Ready?”

“Yes, for goodness’ sake —” Hermann said, and Newt took off before he could even finish his sentence. Hermann only felt slightly ridiculous, and only half-worried that Newt would end up ramming them both into a display. Mostly, he was just having _fun_.

Three aisles later, reality came crashing down — literally — when they almost bowled over a startled employee who was peering around the end of the aisle to see what all the cackling was about. Newt managed to stop the cart before they knocked the man to the ground, but it still ran over his foot.

Needless to say, they were sternly removed from the premises and asked not to return. Newt was righteously indignant, and ranted the entire walk to their car that the employee was _completely overreacting_ and _we didn’t even make a mess_ and _we’re_ heroes _for crying out loud, we should be able to ride shopping carts wherever we damn well please!_

Hermann patted his arm indulgently as they arrived at their vehicle. “I _do_ wish they had let us buy our groceries, at least,” he said with a frown. “I mean, they were already in the cart. It’s less work to simply let us purchase them.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Totally ridiculous!” Newt said, throwing his arms in the air. Then, somewhat sheepishly, he added, “Sorry I got us banned. Guess we’ll have to find a new grocery store.”

Hermann leaned over, pecking him on the cheek. “That’s quite alright, dear. I’m not that attached. And this… _was_ rather fun, wasn’t it?”

Newt smirked and poked him in the ribs. “You totally owe me ten bucks.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @hermanngottiieb and tumblr @joshuawashinton


End file.
